Kondensation

Dehydration synthesis is a type of condensation reaction in which two monomers join by releasing a water molecule. This reaction can repeat many times, linking additional monomers to form large polymers.

For example, when a hydroxyl group of one glucose molecule reacts with a hydrogen atom of another glucose molecule, a water molecule is released, forming a glycosidic bond that links the sugars.

When many glucose molecules are linked together through repeated dehydration synthesis reactions, they form a polymer, called a polysaccharide.

Similarly, when the carboxyl group of one amino acid reacts with the amino group of another, water is released and a peptide bond forms.

Additional amino acids attach to the carboxyl end of the growing peptide chain, forming a polypeptide.

Dehydration synthesis can link similar or different polypeptides in various configurations, yielding diverse proteins with distinct structures and functions.

Similarly, glucose monomers can polymerize in various ways to form different polysaccharides, such as starch, cellulose, or glycogen.